Bands do look small, especially if one is used to getting bareroots. Heirloom, Rogue Valley, and Vintage all send band-size plants (Rogue Valley and Vintage *sometimes* have larger sizes, but bands are more common). As to not blooming the first year, I would expect that from once-bloomers. Repeaters usually will flower, but you may read multiple posters here recommend pinching off flower buds on baby bands so as to promote growth of the plant rather than have the plant expend energy on blooming. Below is a picture of 2 bands I received from Vintage in March of 2012. The plant on the left is one of the smallest bands I've ever received from any nursery. It's Grandmother's Hat. The plant on the right, much noticeably bigger is one of the Eurodesert Roses, the polyantha Petite Francoise (whose mature size is only 1 1/2 to 2 feet). Eventhough I've been buying bands for many years, the tiny size of Grandmother's Hat concerned me (perhaps 3 inches tall). But I potted her up in a one-gallon pot to grow her up a little before planting. She started getting buds several months or so later. I'm not sure how long I waited before planting her, probably some time last summer when she'd outgrown the one gallon pot. Well, she took off, had several flushes and today has one cane over 5 feet tall (with multiple branches) and a new basal that's about 2 feet tall. I used her as an example because she was so tiny, just to indicate what bands can do. Melissa

Well, one of my hellebores has started blooming up a drizzle (a couple of flowers opening). A bit early but not too unusual.

This is so exciting to see - Olga, the CB you donated is even getting a fat flower bud on it, which should generate some excitement to get it planted in the ground soon! No buds on the R. primula, but it is also doing well. Back home in Minnesota my parents are just now pulling the mulch off the garden because the snow just melted - but spring (or is it summer already?) is coming fast on the heels of winter. I have a few seedlings of early yellow species there that are getting quite large and I'm really hoping they'll finally begin blooming this year. They're so exotic and tough, and I'd love to get to work on breeding with them once I can get a piece of land of my own. I'm glad to see that some other hybridizers with better resources seem to have taken notice of their good qualities, too. I have another hybrid spinosissima seedling I'm going to be watching closely this year; if it turns out to be especially pretty I'll certainly post some pictures. The growth alone is beautiful.

So gorgeous. Another one of my favorite Austins. Fragrance is to die for!